Galveston maritime accident lawyers note that in early March, Miroslaw Pozniak, master of the cargo ship Union Moon, made a series of bad piloting decisions that led his cargo ship to collide with an inbound ferryboat, Stena Feronia, just outside of Belfast Harbor. Almost 100 people were on board the ferry at the time of the collision. 6 people were aboard the merchant ship.
The two diverse ships had been nearing the location of the Fairway buoy that marks the start of the main channel into the Harbor. Shipmaster Pozniak should have sent his ship to starboard and an eastward heading. Instead, he suddenly altered course to the port side and plowed his ship into the port side of the ferry.
Both ships were heavily damaged in the Harbor collision incident. Our Galveston maritime accident lawyers emphasize that fortunately no one was lost in the ships’ wreck, but such a disaster could easily have ended in multiple fatalities.
Reportedly, Pozniak’s blood alcohol content (BAC) was four times more than the legal limit. So it’s really no wonder he couldn’t distinguish port from starboard. It’s a wonder he could attempt to direct the ship’s course at all.
His elevated blood alcohol content presented the court hearing his case with a clear violation of the 2003 Railways and Transport Act. Pozniak was also charged with causing the severe damage to his own ship and to the ferry, and with failing to keep a proper lookout. We wonder: with a BAC four times the legal limit, can one keep any sort of lookout at all? Or does everything simply spin and resolve into a murky haze? (Our Galveston maritime accident lawyers are not intending to try it to find out.) Pozniak ruined and effectively ended his 30-year career when he crashed his cargo ship into the ferry. He also faces a year in prison for his crime.
Officials of the court and of Britain’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) expressed some concern that alcohol abuse continues to generate numbers of potentially deadly maritime accidents. Part of the intent behind the prison sentence is to emphasize the strong importance to maritime safety of carefully following applicable regulations, not just with regards to alcohol, but also with regard to charting a course and sticking to prescribed shipping routes.
Let’s hope that Pozniak’s prison sentence puts a curb on alcohol consumption among other ship’s pilots. Around the world each year, news media generally report more than one deadly ferry disaster, and multiple merchant marine accidents. And whether you’re a seaman injured in the accident, an injured ferry passenger, or a grieving family member of someone lost to the collision, holding negligent parties accountable for the accident and obtaining fair financial compensation to help you through the harm you suffered is often much more challenging and complex than for a land-based accident. Jurisdictional issues can complicate your quest for justice. And seemingly applicable laws might not apply to the specific facts of your case at all.
If you’re facing the aftermath of a maritime accident near the Texas coastline, you probably need the help of an experienced Galveston maritime accident lawyer to get you started on the correct path to financial recovery for your injuries. Feel free to contact our dedicated Galveston maritime accident lawyers at Denena & Points for a complimentary initial legal consultation/case evaluation regarding your accident. We can be reached toll free at 877-307-9500 or you can use our online contact forms to schedule your free consultation. Let us help; we’re here to effectively counsel you through your various options to a successful financial recovery.